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Laree's Slam Dunk Fanfiction
Proof Of Your Love
Part Two

His eyelids felt as though they were made of lead, his head drooped forward.  The warm, familiar feeling that he always got whenever he was just about to drift off assailed him.  He shifted on his seat.  It wouldn't do any harm if he just rested his forehead against his desk, so he did.  He sighed.

" Hanamichi." Came a harsh whisper from the desk beside his.

At the sound of his beloved's name, Rukawa snapped back up to attention, blinking stupidly at a grinning Youhei.  " I'm awake."

" So you are." He agreed gleefully.  He was enjoying the Kitsune's predicament immensely.  " Just barely."

" Another do'aho." Rukawa mumbled, glaring balefully at the boy.  " Japan is full of them."  And yet, there was only one particular do'aho in this world that he cared about.

" You had better change your attitude if you want any help from me..."

" And I would want your help because...?"

" Well, because right now, it doesn't look very good for you, does it?" Youhei pointed out, keeping one eye on the teacher yapping away at the front of the classroom and the other on his classmate's reaction.  " I mean, come on, Kitsune!  It's what?  The second period of the day and you're already nodding off!  Not to mention the fact that this is the first day out of fourteen..."

Rukawa looked at him suspiciously.  Why the hell was Youhei being so civil all of a sudden?  But it was true what he was saying.  By now, he had admitted to himself that there was no way he would be able to go through with it, as hard as he might try, and was devising plans on how to sweet talk Hanamichi into taking him back anyways.  " Why would you want to help me?"

" Is the concept of pure human good will too much for you to comprehend?"

" Cut the crap.  You don't like me.  I don't like you.  Remember?  Why are you being so helpful all of the sudden?"

Youhei shrugged.  The truth was that he didn't exactly know himself.  He should have been glad about the break up of the two.  He had never been fond of the Ice Cube, he took up far too much of his best friend's time and yet here he was, trying to convince the guy to let him help out!  Just tell him to fuck it, a little voice at the back of his mind told him, If he doesn't want your help, then who cares?  But he did care.  He cared because for some strange reason, Rukawa made the idiot red head happy.  What the hell could the bubbly, outgoing Hanamichi see in this emotionally challenged block of wood?  " Look, Hana-kun is my friend.  I look after my friends."

" Should I be worried?"  Rukawa asked archly.  There had been moments, a lot of them actually, when he had been sure that Youhei had a thing for Hanamichi.  His suspicions had never been confirmed, though.

" No!  It's nothing like that at all." Youhei snapped, giving the smirking Kitsune a dirty look.  " I just want to help Hanamichi out, him being my best friend and all...Look, you want my help or what?"

" Are you gonna speak to Hanamichi for me?  Try to convince him to take me back already?"

" No."

" Then how the hell do you think you're going to help me?" Rukawa demanded.  That was what he had expected the guy to do.  He couldn't see any other way on which he would be able to help him out.

Youhei shrugged.  " The way I figured it, I'd just slap you awake whenever you started nodding off, you know."

" I've got a better idea." Rukawa leaned closer to Youhei.  " If you really want to help me out-"

" It's not you that I want to help out.  It's Hanamichi." He corrected him.  No use letting the Kitsune think that they were friends now or anything.

" Fine.  If you really want to help Hanamichi out, why don't you just let me sleep and not tell him about it!"  This was a far better suggestion in Rukawa's opinion.

Youhei shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest.  " No.  Then you wouldn't be proving anything.  You'd just be cheating!"

" But why the hell do I have to prove anything?  He already knows that I-"

" Mr.  Rukawa!"  A stern voice cut in sharply.  " I am glad to see that you're awake and actually speaking!  A first!"

Rukawa scowled and grunted in reply.

" Now, since I've finally found you awake, maybe you would be able to answer my question."  The teacher stopped in front of Rukawa's desk and glared at him from over his glasses.  " Who was the author of The Canterbury Tales, Mr. Rukawa?"

With a tired sigh, he got to his feet and turned his gaze on Youhei, who just shrugged.

He had no idea what the answer to that question was.  Besides, he had only agreed to help the guy out with Hanamichi, not with stupid English problems!
 


" It should be great!"  Kogure said enthusiastically as he shoved a basketball into the sack he held in one hand.  " I just love Linkin Park!  I can't wait for their concert!  Mitsui and I-"

" Aww, shut up about that already, glasses boy.  You've been going on and on about it for the past few days!" Hanamichi grumbled, ignoring the dirty look that Mitsui sent his way.  " It's no big deal..."

" Ignore him."  Mitsui advised Kogure, patting him on the back.  " He's just mad 'cos he can't go!"

" Why not?"

" Cos he blew all his money on that new bike for Rukawa after he ran into that car.  Hey, now that the two of you have broken up and all, maybe you could get him to pay you back or something!" Ryota suggested, dodging the ball that Hanamichi hurled at him.

" Shut up, you stupid monkey!"

" I could, if you want me to." " Rukawa muttered almost inaudibly.

" Nah, don't worry about it." Hanamichi kept his back studiously to him.  " It was a gift.  You don't give back gifts."

" But if you need the money then-"

" I said no already you stupid Kitsune!" Hanamichi shouted, brandishing the mop he was holding threateningly in the general direction of Rukawa.  " Shit!  I'm surrounded by stupid animals!  There's a stupid, chattering monkey and an even stupider than stupid fox!"

" Do'aho."

" Don't do'aho me." Hanamichi snapped.

" I can't believe you'd get this angry at me just because I fell asleep.  Besides, I'm doing what you want me to, aren't I?" Rukawa grumbled. He turned to Kogure and held out the broom that he had been using to sweep the gym floor. " Can I go now?"

Kogure accepted it and nodded silently, his eyes darting from Hanamichi to Rukawa.

Hanamichi had softened slightly at the mention of their deal.  Youhei had told him that the guy had kept his word, although it had obviously been very hard for him.  " Bye, Kitsune." He called out as the dark-haired boy began to gather his things from the side lines.

Rukawa looked back at the sound of his voice and nodded in acknowledgment.  He was pleased that Hanamichi had bothered to bid him good bye, though as usual, he didn't let it show.

There was a moment of silence after he had left.  Then finally, Ryota spoke up.  " You broke up with him 'cos he fell asleep?"

" Yeah."

He snickered.  " That's pretty stupid of you, Hanamichi!  I mean, Rukawa's always falling asleep!  You were over-"

" Shut up, monkey boy."  The red head growled.  His grip around the mop tightened.  One more word from the guy and he would go at him.  It seemed as though everybody in the world mentioned that fact whenever they learned of the reason that he had broken up with the guy.  He was getting sick of it.

" What did he do?  Fall asleep in the middle of sex or something?" Mitsui demanded.  He caught Ryota's eye.  The two burst out laughing.

Kogure dug his elbow into Mitsui's ribs.  " Stop it." He commanded.

" All this time, I actually thought that the two of yah split up 'cos of that Akira Sendo!"  Ryota remarked casually.  As usual, he didn't think before he spoke.

" Akira Sendo?" Hanamichi spun around to face him at the mention of this name.  " What would Akira Sendo have to do with this?"  He demanded.

Ryota threw a frantic glance at Kogure who just shook his head in disgust.  He could have bashed the smaller boy for that little slip up but he didn't think he would have to.  Hanamichi looked angry enough to do that himself, God help that Ryota.

" What's this about Akira Sendo, Ryota?  Tell me!"

" It's nothing!" He muttered, his eyes studying the tip of his sneakers as though they were the most interesting thing that he had ever seen in the world.

It only took a few big steps for Hanamichi to get to Ryota.  He grabbed a fistful of the smaller boy's shirt and shook him so vigorously that his teeth chattered.  " Tell me!"

" All right!" He finally shouted, pulling himself away and smoothing down his shirt.  He went back a few paces, not wanting to be at close range when Hanamichi was in such a bad mood.  He could take him if he wanted to, with some serious damage to himself, of course, but right now, he felt sorry for the guy.  He knew how much he had cared for the Kitsune even though the two had never really expressed their love for each other in public.  In fact, they usually fought in the presence of others.  " I saw him with that Sendo a couple of times!"

" What were they doing?"

" Aw, come on, Hana-kun!" Ryota desperately wanted to get off the subject.  Next time, he would think before opening his big mouth, he resolved.  " It's probably nothing!  I mean, you were the one that broke up with him, right?  Not the other way around!  I'm sorry I even mentioned the guy's name, all right?  Sendo has nothing to do with it whatsoever!"

He was right.  He had been the one to break off the relationship but it seemed to Hanamichi as though Rukawa had wanted it to come about.  The guy had provoked him into it!  Was all that shit about proving his love just a big show so that he could get out of their relationship gracefully?  " What were the two of them doing?"

" Nothing!"

" Please, Ryota."

The utter defeat in Hanamichi's tone startled him.  He had never seen the big red headed oaf like this before!  He had always been so cheerful and bubbly and...Damn his big mouth!  No wonder he was having so much trouble getting Ayako to notice him!  " One time they were playing one on one.  Perfectly innocent." he added this last part in hastily.

" And the other time?"

It took a bit more prodding from Hanamichi to get the answer out of Ryota.  " They were out at that Chinese food place near that video store."

Hanamichi closed his eyes for a moment in an attempt to compose himself.  He recalled the conversation that he had had with Rukawa only the night before.  He had asked him about what he loved most in this world and Rukawa, his Kitsune. His beloved, had mentioned Sendo.  He hadn't thought that he was serious but now it was pretty obvious that he had been.  " When was that?"

" A few days back.  You know, right after that practice where you had that fight with him about your foul."

" I didn't foul!" Hanamichi snapped, even though his mind was already racing with horrible thoughts about Sendo and Rukawa.

This would explain everything.  The way that Rukawa kept disappearing after practices, how the Kitsune had kept on breaking dates with him.  The night that Ryota had seen Sendo with Rukawa in that restaurant had been the night when the Kitsune had broken a date with him saying that his aunt and uncle had come into town and he had to go to a family dinner, and Sendo Akira sure as hell wasn't part of the Rukawa family!

" Hey, Hana-kun.  You okay?" Kogure asked, concerned.

" I'm fine.  It's already over, anyways so why should I care anymore?" Hanamichi mumbled, throwing the mop away and turning towards the locker room.  Right now, he wanted nothing more in the world than to be back home, locked up in his room.
 
 

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